INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 19 



Dredging station 3475 : 24 Macrim, mauy starfish, few shells, 3 soa-nrchiiis, few 



prawns, few sponges, few naked mollusks, few peuuatulas, 1 squid, 3 crinoids, 



few sea-anemones. 

 Dredging station 347(i: many Macruri, mauy specimens o£ Sehasfcs, 1 Moiiocauthus, 



few starfish, few erabs, few Pentacheles, 1 octopus, few prawns, 1 holothurian, 



fewspouges, Ipennatula, few squid, 1 crinoid. 



We were strongly tempted to extend our biological worlv to the 

 almost unknoTvu ^^ aters of Hawaii, where every haul brought mauy 

 interestiug forms entirely nuknown to our naturalists, but the element 

 of time was of such importance in the cable survey that we did not 

 feel justified in doing anything that would interfere in the slightest 

 degree with its progress. Enough was learned, hoAvever, to show us 

 that the prolific waters of the Hawaiian Archipelago present an exceed- 

 ingly interesting and almost virgin field for the scientific exj)lorer. 



The investigations above detailed occupied us until December 6, 

 when we returned to Honolulu, took on board 172| tons of coal, and 

 made final preparations for running a second line of soundings to the 

 California coast. 



We received many courtesies as well as material aid from the officers 

 of the Hawaiian Coast Survey and others, which greatly facilitated 

 our work. 



Haivaiian Islands to Monterey Bay. — We took our final departure 

 from the beautiful harbor and hospitable people of Honolulu at 4:50 j). 

 m., December 11, and steaming around Diamond Head anchored for 

 the night in Mauna Loa Bay. Getting under way early the following 

 morning, the rhumb line was commenced in latitude 21° 18' north, 

 longitude 157° 33' west, and extended N. 03° E. true for the California 

 coast. 



The outer verge of tiie shore platform was found in 003 fathoms, 20 

 miles from laud, and a sharp descent of 29 per cent from this point 

 developed the same bold contour that was found on previous lines. 

 The bottom retained its character of mud and sand also, without the 

 least indication of the rocky projections so apt to occur under like con- 

 ditions. Increasing depths were revealed with each succeeding cast, 

 and 75 miles from Oahu we entered a depression 30 miles in extent, 

 having a maximum depth of 3,027 fathoms. Thence for IGO miles the 

 mean was not far from 2,600 fathoms, increasing to a inaximum of 3,038 

 fathoms in 135 miles, which proved to be the deepest cast on the rhumb 

 line. A mean of 2,900 fathoms was then carried for 34^5 miles to an 

 elevation having 2,346 fathoms, and 2,700 fathoms for 120 miles to a 

 rise over which were 2,375 fathoms. 



The great central plateau averaged about 2,(;00 fathoms, with eleva- 

 tions having 1,924, 1,858, and 2,175 fathoms, the latter lying S. 46° E. 

 true, 28 miles from the crest of the great Belknap Eise, a remarkable 

 submarine mountain, which has an elevation of about 14,000 feet above 

 the ocean bed, and reaches Avithin 388 fathoms of tlie surtiu'e. Tliere 

 is a strong ijrobability that the last-mentioned sounding was on a 



